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Following the announcement, Rachael's husband, Steve said in a statement: "She was an incredibly talented broadcaster as well as a wonderful and much loved daughter, sister, aunt, niece, wife and, most importantly to her, a mother to her precious little Freddie."

"We all take such huge comfort and pride from the amazing and tireless work she has done since her diagnosis to reduce the stigma around cancer and prove that it is possible to live life to the fullest even when facing huge challenges on a daily basis.

"At the end, even though her body was at its weakest, her voice was at its strongest and most powerful."

He describes her as "perfect in every way", adding "we will miss her more than words can say".

Rachael lives in Cheshire with her husband of six years, Steve, and their two-year-old son, Freddie.

She has been a BBC news presenter for more than 15 years and had been documenting her battle against breast cancer in a podcast and blog series called Big C Little Me.

Thousands of listeners tuned in to BBC Radio 5 Live each week to hear her talking about living with cancer with Lauren Mahon and Deborah James.

On November 22, 2016, Rachael was diagnosed with primary triple-negative breast cancer that had spread to four lymph nodes under her right arm.

Rachael Bland: Rachael announced the news on Monday in a heart-wrenching tweet. (Image: Twitter/Rachel Bland)

She has been going through chemotherapy since her diagnosis in 2016, and spoke of feeling like a “lab rat” after starting a medical trial in a bid to buy a bit more time.

After enduring months of treatment, she was told in May 2017 that the cancer was terminal.

Rachael wrote on her blog about the moment she received the phone call that would deliver the news that her cancer was terminal, while with her son at an ice cream farm.

“My heart was racing as I answered it, knowing a phone call did not bode well,” she wrote.

“Then came the words 'I am so sorry, it's bad news. The biopsies have come back showing the same cancer is back and is in the skin'.

Rachael Bland cancer: Rachael has been writing a memoir for her son (Image: INSTAGRAM)

“I watched my little Freddie innocently playing away in a tyre in the barn and my heart broke for him.

“I scooped him up and dashed home and then had to break (her husband) Steve's heart with the news that my cancer was now metastatic and therefore incurable.”

Last month, Rachael gave a heartbreaking interview to the Telegraph.

She said she is “not scared of dying,” but is worried about leaving her husband and son behind.

She revealed how she had decided not to find out how long she has left to live, instead 'guesstimating' that it was less than a year.

Rachael Bland: She spoke of feeling like a “lab rat” after starting a medical trial (Image: Twitter/Rachael Bland)

“I have to suppress a lot of the darkest thoughts about Freddie growing up without his mummy around,” she said.

There has been an outpouring of support on social media since Rachael announced the devastating news that she only has days left.

Fellow BBC journalist Steph McGovern wrote: “ Rachael, I am so gutted for you and your family. The podcast has clearly helped so many people and you did it with such style, humour and bloody brilliance. Thank you for everything you have done. Xx”

Another BBC colleague, Eleanor Oldroyd, wrote: “Dear Rachael, you have lived a life to inspire millions. Your many friends will be there for Steve and Freddie. Love and peace and prayers from all of us xxx”